After putting together an 18-12 campaign a year ago with a young team that was thrust into some interesting scenarios, the West Greene Buffaloes will enter the 2026-27 basketball season looking to build on that success while trying to take the next step in the postseason.
Head coach Allen Tolliver, who begins his sixth season at the helm, returns a group of players who gained a lot of valuable experience last year and look to continue moving the needle towards setting new standards in Mosheim.
“I am excited to see the growth a lot of them have made as we move toward the start of the season, due to the experience that the returners gained from last season and the lessons they learned. I love the time that I have gotten to spend with this group and the bond they have created. They are a very coachable group that always shows up and are willing to put in the work to grow and better themselves.”
West Greene finished second In District 1-2A in the regular-season standings last year before placing third in the district tournament. The Buffaloes went on the road and unfortunately bowed out in the opening round of the Region 1-2A tournament, falling 57-56 to Cumberland Gap.
Despite the early exit, Tolliver saw plenty of growth from his young squad, particularly in its ability to handle adversity.
“The biggest moment last year was learning how to win close games and continue to fight through adversity, whether it was sickness or injuries,” Tolliver said. “It was nice to see the growth from a pretty young team throughout the year.”
The Buffaloes will have some important production to replace following the graduation of Elijah Williams and Ayden Lamons, both of whom earned Greene Sports Zone All-County honors. Lamons was named the county’s Player of the Year after averaging 11.5 points per game and pulling down 10.6 rebounds per contest, while Williams averaged 10.6 points per game.
However, West Greene does return several players who played significant roles a year ago, including All-County selection Tytus Shelton, who led the Buffaloes with an average of 13.4 points per game.
Shelton, along with Parker Arnott, Luke Heck, Josiah Dawson, and Carter Stills, all saw valuable minutes last season, with each having an opportunity to step into the starting lineup at some point during the year.
While experience will be an advantage, Tolliver knows the team will need to establish new leadership and find the right combination of players as the season progresses.
“I think our biggest challenge right now is finding that vocal leader to step up and fill the role that Elijah and Ayden played for us last year,” Tolliver said. “We are really just adjusting to how one another plays and finding the new rotations with this group.”
With several football players just recently returning to the basketball floor, the coaching staff is having to do a lot of work in a short amount of time to get everyone on the same page and determine the best combinations.
The Buffaloes also have several younger players looking to work their way into the rotation. Bradley Caldwell, Tristan Banks, Lukas Winstead, Julian Greenlee, Dallas Williams and Jagger Dearinger are among the players Tolliver is excited to see develop throughout the season.
Caldwell’s shooting ability could provide an offensive boost, while Banks and Winstead bring added toughness and physicality after coming off the football field. Greenlee, Williams and Dearinger are three guards who have continued to show progress as they learn and develop within the program.
“We’ve focused on a lot of things this summer and during the early season practices. Defense has been a big point of emphasis for us along with finding that new leadership and controlling what we can control, which is attitude, energy and effort,” Tolliver said.
The Buffaloes will have many options on the offensive side of things. But whether it be from Arnott, Dawson, Shelton, or any of the newcomers, Tolliver wants to stress flexibility among his players and their ability to create.
“I preach to the guys all the time about sharing the ball, and the more assists and more people we have in the stat or scorebook, the more successful we will be as a team,” Tolliver said. “We have looked at things from last year, and now most of these guys have gotten to see the results from that. I feel like it will click for them bringing us closer together as a team and making us better in the end.”
West Greene will once again face a demanding conference schedule featuring Chuckey-Doak, South Greene, Unicoi County, Happy Valley and Johnson County. The non-conference slate includes matchups with David Crockett, Gibbs, KACHEA, Cosby and North Greene.
The Buffaloes will also test themselves in two holiday tournaments, traveling to Claiborne County at Thanksgiving and then heading to Elizabethton at Christmas. Both holiday tournaments will feature strong fields and should provide valuable opportunities for the team to gain some valuable experience.
“I think our conference is very competitive and can be a wide-open race, making the top spot a toss-up between any of the teams,” Tolliver added.
For Tolliver, however, the success of the season will be measured by more than just what happens on the scoreboard.
“Success isn’t always determined by wins and losses, however, it is always nice to have the wins. We are trying to help the guys learn the game of basketball, play it the right way, and learn some life lessons along the way to hopefully help them become successful guys once they move on from the program,” he said.
His message heading into the season is simple: control what you can control, be a good teammate and be coachable.
